Mag-log inRue’s POVThe silence in the room stretched for a while. Veronica’s words had made everyone go speechless.“You must be very useful to her.”I didn’t look at Percy immediately. Part of me didn’t want to. Because even though I knew what Veronica was doing, knew she was trying to fracture something between us, the accusation still made me uneasy.Was I using him? Had I leaned on him too easily?The questions surfaced before I could stop them. And the worst part was that the entire room was watching, watching Percy. Waiting to see if doubt would appear in his expression.Veronica smirked slightly, sensing the moment of tension she had created.Haven’s mother folded her arms as well, clearly expecting the same outcome. Both of them were seemingly convinced they understood how loyalty worked. That Percy would eventually resent me.I finally turned my head to look at him.His gaze swept slowly across the room, lingering briefly on Veronica, then Haven’s mother, before finally returning to m
Rue’s POVThe sound of Veronica’s body hitting the polished floor brought more attention. For a moment, no one in the vicinity moved.The officials’ eyes darted between Percy and the woman sprawled across the floor. The sterile atmosphere of the CDC building had been shattered by the suddenness of the magic attack.Veronica groaned softly as she pushed herself up on one elbow, her hair falling loose around her face. The smug confidence she had entered the room with was gone, replaced by humiliation. Her eyes burned as she looked up at Percy.“You…” she began, her voice trembling with fury.But before she could finish…“Percy.”My voice cut through the room.He turned slightly toward me.There was still anger radiating from him, a silent pressure in the air that made the nearby officials visibly uncomfortable.I stepped forward.“That’s enough...” I said in an attempt to calm him down.Percy studied me for a second, his dark eyes searching my face. Then slowly, reluctantly, he lowered
Rue’s POVI stood near the kitchen counter, staring down at the scattered documents I had been reviewing for the past hour. Drug authorization reports and distribution forms. Everything connected to the medication batch I had quietly released weeks ago.At the time, the decision had been calculated but urgent. So I had pushed it forward. Now the CDC neutral zone wanted clarification which meant I had to go.I exhaled slowly and rubbed my temple, feeling the faint tension building behind my eyes.“What are you thinking about?”Percy’s voice drifted from the living room behind me.I glanced back.He was leaning casually against the doorway, arms crossed loosely over his chest, watching me with that perceptive gaze he seemed to reserve only for me.“The drugs,” I replied quietly.I turned back to the papers.“If the CDC flags something incorrectly, they could suspend distribution.”“They won’t.”“You sound very confident.”“Because I trust your work…your original plan is the reason this
Weeks later, the kindergarten announced a parent-child meeting.An open classroom event.Both Vance and Aiden attended.The tension was palpable from the moment they entered the same room. It wasn’t surprising given that Vance once wanted to overthrow Aiden.Blue sat at a tiny table, swinging her legs lightly.Aiden stood beside her.Vance approached deliberately. And for a few seconds, their eyes met. The mutual dislike was not subtle. It simmered openly now.“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Aiden said. “I wouldn’t miss it,” Vance replied evenly.“For a friend’s child?” Aiden asked pointedly.Vance’s lips curved slightly.“Something like that.”And then, Aiden saw her, standing across the classroom. Rue.She stood near the whiteboard, speaking gently to another parent.His body went rigid. What was she doing here?His gaze sharpened instantly at the teacher’s badge. She wasn’t here visiting, she worked here.Rue turned and saw him. For a brief moment, he didn’t know what to say or d
The first time Haven saw Vance after the livestream, she thought she was hallucinating. It was late afternoon. Haven had been moving quickly, head lowered, hoping to avoid the whispers that now followed her everywhere. Then she turned a corner and stopped.Vance stood at the end of the corridor. Alive, whole and watching her.For a moment, her mind refused to process it. Her breath caught mid-inhale, chest tightening so abruptly it bordered on pain.He should have been dead. The thought flashed across her face before she could conceal it.Vance noticed but he smiled. He knew “Haven,” he said calmly, his voice almost conversational. “You look surprised.”She forced her spine straight, forced blood back into her pale cheeks.“I…I heard you were recovering…after you…fainted” she replied carefully.“Recovering? Fainted?” He took a slow step forward. “Is that what you call it?”Her pulse quickened. He stopped just close enough for his presence to feel deliberate.“But anyway. I’ve alwa
The livestream ended briefly afterwards. The masked man lowered the device that had broadcast Haven’s unraveling to the world. The flood of comments froze mid-scroll. The connection dissolved into black.Inside the dim warehouse where the interrogation had taken place, silence followed like a heavy curtain dropping after a performance.Haven’s breathing filled the space. Her wrists were still bound, her shoulders trembling from the aftershocks of forced confession. The overhead light buzzed faintly against concrete walls.The masked man stood still for a moment longer. Then, slowly, he reached up and removed his mask. “I didn’t use real gasoline,” he said, gesturing toward the canister that had sat ominously near her chair during the stream. “You were never going to burn.”Haven stared at him, tears streaking her face.“You’re insane,” she whispered hoarsely.“No,” he replied evenly. He stepped back, giving her air, though she did not notice the gesture as mercy.“I only needed the
Rue’s POVEvery head turned.“I’ve heard,” Haven continued, eyes never leaving mine, “that Mr. Killian despises women who are divorced, unfaithful, and irresponsible toward their families.”The implication was not subtle. It might as well have been a public insult.A ripple of discomfort spread thr
Sora’s POVThe screen lit up before I even finished my coffee. I had only been scrolling out of habit when the headline appeared in my notification.Blood Claw Alpha’s Daughter Appears at Central Mall — Suspected Engagement PreparationsMy fingers froze.For a moment, I thought I had misread it. Bl
Rue’s POVMy reflection looked calm. Inside, I was not.This banquet was not just a celebration, it was a declaration of succession, of everything that had been denied to me when I was nameless. I had walked through death and come back wearing scars no gown could hide. And yet tonight, the world w
Rue’s POVThe fifteenth arrived without ceremony in my heart, yet the world seemed determined to make it unforgettable.I woke before dawn. For a long moment, I lay still, listening to the distant footsteps in the corridor, to the low hum of servants already at work, to my own breathing.Today was







